Electric conduit for railways



'(No Model.)

J. 1 GONKLIN. ELECTRIC 'GONDUIT FOR-RAILWAYS.

Patented Aug. '29, 1893 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I. OONKLIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CONDUIT FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,104, dated August29, 1893.

Application filed May 2,1892. Serial No. 431,579- -(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I. CONKLIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and Stateot' NewYork, have invented certain new andu sefnl Improvements in ElectricalConductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class or system of closed conduits forelectrical conductors,

in which a main conductor and secondary con-' ductors are employed, thelatter being normally thrown out of contact with the former by springconnections, but adapted to be thrown into contact therewith for thepurpose of closing the circuit by the pressure of a trolley wheeltraveling on said secondary conductor.

My invention is designed more especially to improve the construction ofsaid devices whereby dirt, snow, or rain is prevented from entering thecasing and thus impairing the efficienoy of the conductors.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of aconduit with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the same.

In the said drawings, the reference letter a, designates the casingwhich may be made of wood or other suitable material, rounded or curvedupon its upper side and formed with a central longitudinal slot oropening a, the lower edges of which are beveled as seen at o The letter6 indicates the main conductor consisting of a metallic strip formed atits lower end with outwardly extending flanges e, and at its upper endwith a head e This conductor is embedded in an insulating material d insaid casing, with the head 6 projecting up above the surface thereof. Ateach side of said head and resting on the insulating material is alongitudinal strip 0, of india rubber or other elastic non-conductingmaterial and resting upon these strips are the secondary conductors 1),consisting of a series of metallic strips or bars, located in theopening in the casing and formed at their lower ends with longitudinalbeveled flanges b.

The operation will be readily understood. The secondary conductors arenormally held out of contact with the main conductor, by the elasticstrips 0, the beveled flanges engaging with the beveled portions of theeasing whereby dirt, rain or snow is effectually excluded, and thecircuit broken. When, however, a trolley wheel travels over one of saidsecondary conductors, as seen in Fig. 2, its weight will press the samedown into contact with the main conductor, closing the circuit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is.

1. In an electrical conduit the combination with the casing having acentral longitudinal opening, of the insulating material, the mainconductor embedded therein, with a head proj eoting up above the surfacethereof, the elastic non-conducting strips at each side of said headresting on said insulating material, and the secondary conductorsresting on said strips, substantially as described.

2. In an electrical conduit, the combination with the casing havingrounded upper end and a central longitudinal opening withbeveled sidesor edges, of the insulating material located in said casing, the mainconductor located therein having longitudinal flanges at its lower endand a head at its upper end projecting above the surface of theinsulating material, the elastic non-conducting strips at each side ofsaid head,resting on theinsulating material and the secondary conductorshaving longitudinal beveled flanges resting on said strips,substantially as and for the purpose described.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, this2d day of December, A. D. 1891.

.T. P. ConKLm, C. A. CoNKLIN.

